Monday, March 23, 2015

Bitten, Season 2, Episode 7 Bad Dreams

Ominous Savannah dreams of someone eating Elena and the
ominous words “we’re all dead by dawn”

While awake, Elena is clearly badly traumatised by her
experiences with Alistair. Nick and Paige are at Alistair’s base disposing of
everything (it seems that all of Elena’s blood samples have disappeared though –
not that Nick seems to pay much attention). Paige is also having doubts because
Alistair is her half-brother and she thinks family could have changed things –
something that hits a raw wound with Nick since his dad mentioned his mother’s
name as he died. Of course he hasn’t gone to see her because werewolf law says
you have to kill any human who learns you’re a wolf.

The Alpha Council is back in town and is being very
demanding about assurances that the werewolf secret is not at risk from Malcom –
or the pack’s – actions. There’s lots of sniping and little digs and they
demand to see Elena. It’s quickly clear that they’re less interested in how she
killed Malcolm than they are curious about how Elena, the only female werewolf,
managed to survive her first change. She credits it all to Jeremy and how they
should all listen to him

The new Spanish Alphas Eduardo is all stompy about Jeremy
killing his last Alpha. He also decides to threaten to kill Nick (who is away
from the pack) if Jeremy doesn’t kill Roman, the Russian Alpha

He tries to call Nick, but one of the Spanish wolves has
stolen his phone. Clay follows Eduardo and finds him meeting with Karl – the mutt
who causes so much trouble. After some strangling, Karl assures Clay that he
was totally going to tell them because he is indebted to Jeremy for letting him
live

Paige has decided she knows better than Nick and it’s
time to take a trip to see Nick’s mother. They meet her and get all emotional
over the fact she’s clearly heartbroken and pining for Nick’s dad. Which leads
to Nick’s pining for what he can’t have – a family – which in turn leads to him
and Paige having sex.

Except Antonio didn’t leave Lily in the dark – she has
been sending her pictures of Nick showing her he’s ok. She knows Nick is her
son. Nick turns and runs. When Paige tries to catch up with him to change his
mind, Nick smells the werewolf hunting him

Confrontation in a corn field ends up with the Spanish
wolf knocked out by Nick in wolf form – which was witnessed by Lily. Nick kills
the Spanish wolf once he hears of the plot. He manages to have a moment with
Lily who reveals she knows all about the werewolves, Antonio had told him – and
he left to keep her safe from the secret being exposed. Nick tells her that
Antonio is dead

1 on 1 the Russian Alpha tells Elena how he would have
slaughtered every Mutt in North America whether they were involved or not after
the revolt. When Savannah turns up and tells Elena about her vision – and Roman
is horrified that a human child can just show up and be invited in. Jeremy and
Roman have a confrontation with Jeremy finally making it clear it’s his pack,
his territory and his rules while Roman counters that what happens here could
easily affect his pack in Russia.

Using magic, Savannah shares her premonition with Elena,
only this time it includes Alistair. And when she’s finished all the electrics
in the house spark (much to Roman’s shock). When Savannah sees Roman she announces
he’s a werewolf from her vision

Which means he now knows she knows he’s a werewolf. By the law she must be
squished now. The fact that she’s a witch doesn’t impress him at all and he’s
furious that Jeremy is deciding to make decisions that affect all werewolves –
he ORDERS Jeremy to kill Savannah and insists Jeremy steps down.

So Jeremy ties Roman up and uses his blood to convince
the Spanish Alpha that he’s been murdered. They intend to prove to Roman that
it is the Spanish who are plotting (that doesn’t really provide any reassurance
about the secrecy or Savannah’s death). Elena rigs things so Roman can overhear
Jeremy and Eduardo talk (Eduardo conveniently expositioning his plans to kill
off and replace all the Alphas to install more co-operative ones) while Elena
randomly kills some Spanish wolves.

Except a Spanish wolf takes Savannah captive while Roman
is converted which would be a tense stand off if that wolf didn’t die bleeding
from every orifice – Savannah or Alistair since that is his party trick?

The display of power does convince Roman that witches
would make too dangerous an enemy to antagonise (or, as Jeremy puts it, good
allies to have) and he confirms he’ll spread the word and properly doom the
Spanish pack. Karl also shows up to pledge his dedication to Jeremy – which Jeremy
accepts

Clay running after Eduardo instead runs into the very much
alive Alistair who possesses Clay

Aaargh, y’know, Elena’s big speech on listening to Jeremy
would be excellent – in the books. In the books where Jeremy is more than other
Alphas, where he is willing to listen, win loyalty, to care. Where he cares
what people think, where he pays attention to their pain. Where he is willing
to work with others and doesn’t think everything should be resolved by violence

That is the Jeremy who deserves that praise. But this
Jeremy? What sets him apart? What makes him so special? I’m hoping that sparing
Karl and beginning and alliance with the witches may be the beginning of
showing Jeremy as this progressive, forward thinking more reasonable Alpha –
but that hasn’t been established and at the moment Elena looks like she’s lying
through her back teeth

That said, the conflict between the Alpha council and the
local pack is excellent – and definitely a comment on the modern world. Yes
each Alpha is supreme in their own territory but Roman also has a point –
Jeremy is ignoring established werewolf practice, risking exposing all
werewolves and risking Roman’s werewolf identity personally. While Eduardo’s
plotting is standard ambition, Roman actually has a point to his demands –
Jeremy is using local autonomy to unilaterally make decisions that affect all
werewolves.

Which is an interesting plot line – but will it be
developed now or is it just a foreshadow since Alistair has been pulled out
again already? I’m in two minds about this – I didn’t dislike his plot line but
I do wonder what more can be extracted out of it.